A dedicated couple has transformed family travel by exploring twenty-five different countries with their six-year-old daughter, strongly advocating for parents to begin international journeys with their children during infancy. Jacob Aldridge and his wife Harmony, both forty-four years old, have become passionate proponents of traveling while raising children, firmly believing all parents should take their youngsters abroad whenever possible.
Extensive Travel Experience With A Young Child
The family embarked on full-time travel in July 2019, and the arrival of their daughter Josette did not prevent them from continuing their adventures across air, land and sea. The family of three has now explored over twenty-five countries including Italy, Austria, and Iceland, with seventeen of those destinations visited before their daughter reached her first birthday.
They are actively encouraging other parents to get their children airborne before they can walk, despite the relatively high likelihood the youngster will not retain memories of the trip. Jacob explained their philosophy clearly: "The sooner you start, the easier it will be." The business consultant elaborated further: "Our daughter has been on dozens of flights. She has her routine. She's comfortable in the space and I definitely think that's because we started early."
Beginning Travel At Three Months Old
Josette embarked on her first flight to Paris at just three months old and is now approaching her twenty-fifth passport stamp, which she will receive in Vietnam next month. Jacob, originally from Brisbane, Australia, argues that infants and toddlers often miss out on world travel due to unnecessary stress and parental anxiety.
He addressed common concerns directly: "Many parents fear reactions from fellow travellers. We've packed TimTams to apologise to our neighbours before. But in practice, everyone is supportive; either they understand, they're grateful it's not them, or they're distracted by something else entirely."
Practical Travel Tips For Families
To help little ones adapt to air travel, Jacob offers several practical suggestions, including maintaining a consistent evening routine regardless of location. "Whether it's an overnight flight or new hotel, our evening rhythm stays similar. Dinner, bath, book and bed. We travel with the same toys, music and books," he shared.
He emphasized the importance of consistency: "So there's consistency if not the environment. Jet lag and timezone management become much harder when you're trying to convince a toddler to stay up an extra few hours or nap earlier than usual. There's no point being frustrated when a child wakes early or wants to sleep late."
Creating Lasting Family Memories
Jacob reflected on one particularly memorable experience: "One of my fondest travel memories is a late-night walk around the cliffs of Santorini carrying a seven-month-old who was wide awake while the rest of the family needed sleep."
The family's travel adventures come as new research from sleep suit manufacturer Love To Dream reveals that half of parents postpone or avoid air travel due to concerns about their child's sleeping patterns during flights. Jacob has previously disclosed that he sets aside approximately seven hundred eighty-one pounds monthly to sustain his family's globetrotting lifestyle.
Their experience demonstrates that with proper planning and realistic expectations, international travel with young children can be both manageable and immensely rewarding for the entire family.
